Saving Eachother
by jeszika
Summary: In one moment their lives changed forever, helping each other through heartbreaks they lost themselves in the past, but they only thing they didn't expect was falling in love and being saved.
1. Peyton Sawyer: A Mess

I'm Peyton Sawyer, and i'm a mess.

Great way to start this introduction, isn't it.

It's short, simple, and straight to the point.

But, okay, I can elaborate.

I'm a student at THHS.

My mom is dead. Well one of them.

The other may or may not be my biological mom.

And I never knew I was adopted.

My dad is gone most of the time on the seas.

My best friend is not my best friend anymore because of some

stupid love triangle that i've been trying to get out of for the longest time.

My other friend choose to leave her husband for a rock tour and left him broken hearted.

The other person in the love triangle, I don't even want to be with anymore.

And the heartbroken husband is my best guy friend, my ex, and the guy i've loved since I was 15.

All this adds up to a recipe for destruction.

So far, i've learned the the key to surviving is denial. I'm serious. We can deny we're tired, hungry, afraid, nervous and desperate. Above all we can deny being in denial.

Maybe we don't want things the way they really are, because that would hurt too much.

We lie to ourselves until it seems to be the truth.

Sometimes we can't even recognize the truth anymore.

Then, sometimes the truth comes at us, like a hurricane flooding our senses and lives until all we do is sink or swim. We can only lie and deny for so long.

Yes, i'm tired of this life ; does denial really change that? Eventually you have to realize that De Nile isn't just the damn river in Egypt. It's more than a river. It's a hurricane, a tsunami, an ocean… and you have to figure out how to keep from drowning.

Maybe it's part of growing up. Trust me, it sucks. Sure, we have alcohol and lots of sex, but overall? It sucks. What happened to just being a kid in the sandbox, wishing on stars, and determining all life's questions by picking off flower petals? When did we fear the consequences of De Nile turning into an ocean with the intent to drown us? Why do people say life is so easy, when they know it's really so damn hard?

I guess I should've just stuck with the short and simple version. Hi, I'm Peyton Sawyer, and I'm a mess.

Here, I sit with a bottle of Jack Daniels in my hands, if i'm going to drown, it might as well be my sorrows. Somedays I long for the pre-Lucas/pre-Haley days. Yeah Nate might of been an ass, but hey, I knew that. Things were just simple then..I had my best friend too.

I take a drink for the memories.

I take a drink for Nate.

I take a drink for my broken friendship with Brooke.

Yeah, things were simple back then alright. Lucas tore me away from Nate, and from Brooke. Haley helped Nate become a good guy only to leave him for a rock tour.

As I drown my sorrows for everyone and everything around me I never notice a figure in my doorway looking around my rooms at the empty bottles that now reside on the floor here. I look up not expecting to see him, it's been weeks since he's left his apartment.

"Trying to kill yourself, Sawyer?"

"Trying, but it just doesn't want to work."

He walks away from the doorway and towards me and takes a seat on the bed next to me.

"If it means anything to you, i'll care if you die."

"Wanna die together and we can save heartbreak to each other?" I ask handing him the bottle.

"What a way to go, alcohol poisoning and a pretty blonde." he says taking a swig of the bottle.

"Why are you out?"

"I need to be Nathan Scott again. Not the guy crying over the wife who left him, but Nathan Scott the man."

"Good for you Nate." I say and I mean it. I love Haley, but she left him broken, and now he wants to start to heal.

"Yeah, so what about you Sawyer?"

"My mom came to see me." I say and wait for what would be a usual reaction if someone knew me.

"Seeing ghosts now?"

"No, she says she's my biological mom, but I can't reach my dad so I don't know a thing. He's always gone. Brooke and I aren't friends. I wish Luke would leave me alone. And to be honest, the last few weeks I kinda missed my other best friend."

"Who?"

"You." I reply sincerly.

"Well i'm here now, for as long as you'll have me." He says, wrapping his arm around my shoulder while we share the bottle.

"Thanks Nate."


	2. Faith&Trust

Faith is a funny thing. One minute you trust someone completely, the next minute you're not sure what you believe. People always say 'keep the faith' and 'live the faith'. But trust me, it's easier said than done. Faith can REALLY confuse you. So when you lose faith is everything, what do you do?

As I sat at my computer on a webcam conference with my dad, everything I knew for 17 years, vanished. No more safety could be found in my father at that moment. My life was a lie. For 17 years I believed my mother was my mother, and that she died 10 years ago, but now my mother isn't my mother, my father isn't my father, and my life just got more confusing.

Signing out of the chat, with tears forming into my eyes I hear the ring tone, "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescene, and despite the tears, I had to smile hearing Nate's ring tone that we have for each other on our phones.

"Hey Nate"

"Hey Sawyer, what's wrong?"

"Fake mom is actually mom."

"Want to take a weekend trip?"

I had to smile, Nate always knew what to do to cheer me up.

"Sure, to where?"

"How about we just hop into the car and drive?"

"Sounds like a plan? See you in 15?"

"See ya Peyt."

I hung up and even though I was upset with my dad, I realize faith is a funny thing. You can't lose faith or else you have nothing to believe in. You can't give up on faith because then you are pretty much giving up on youtself.

Nate is a perfect example. Even though we hurt each other in the past, I never lost faith in him because he was there all the times I needed him. I believed in him, that he could become a better man, and he did just that with the help of Haley.

We have to trust each other.

We have to trust ourselves.

We have to be there for each other.

We have to follow our instincts and let go.

But in the end, we need faith, because as human beings we need something to hold on to.

And i'm glad right now I have my faith in Nate even if my faith in others isn't too good right now. Throwing one last hoodie in my bag and grabbing my cell, ipod, and sketchbook, I was out the door, locking it, and hopping in the car with Nate: Destination Unknown.


	3. Healing Each Other

Pulling out of the driveway on the way to nowhere as of yet, I turned to look at Nate.

"Thanks for this Nate. Thanks for being there for me."

"You've been there for me alot and now it's time to return the favor."

"I'm supposed to be there for you, it's what best friends do."

He looked at me and gave me a genuine smile. Which made me do the same in return. I can tell when his smile is fake, when he's sad, angry, or wants to be left alone. We read each other like an open book, and ever since that night in my room with a bottle of Jack Daniels, we've been healing each other.

That was 3 weeks ago. For that night, which was a Friday we drank, the next night we drank. And then come Sunday we threw away the empty bottles, and the rest of the stash and decide to heal each other instead of having the alcohol heal us.

I still haven't talked to Brooke. Lucas still won't leave me alone, calling, leaving messages, emailing me constantly. Haley and Nate haven't talked either.

He moved out of his apartment. Brooke moved in there he mentioned.He moved home to his mom's although he hated it.

"Hey Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't you move in with me?"

I asked him. I had already explained the situation to my dad before I learned the truth about the fake mommy situation and he agreed it would be good considering he'd be at sea for 6 more months.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, and I already talked to my dad about it, he said this way he'll know i'm safe."

"If you're sure, than yea, why not. The parents are driving me crazy since I moved back in there."

"Ok, then it's settled, after we get back from this trip we'll get your things, and move ya in."

"Thanks Sawyer."

"Anytime Nate" I say and mean it, and I place my hand over his on the console.

After what seemed like hours we arrived a few towns away at a place that rented cabins and decided to check in.

Getting our things and checking into a cabin, we made their way there.

"Cabin 4, right here."

Walking into the room, I was pretty amazed. It was beautiful, with a wonderful view of the mountains out of a big window behind a jacuzzi.

"Wow." I finally managed to say.

"Pretty nice, huh?"

"Very."

After noticing one bed and figuring it's ok to share it since we've been sharing a bed alot the last few weeks. We unpack some things and decide to go for a walk.

"What happened with you and my brother?"

"Ahhh." one topic I prefer not to talk about, not because I love him, but because not even nate was the cruel. But I decided to tell nate what happened because I trust him.

"You know the day brooke was leaving and she came a kidnapped me from your apartment?" I start out with. That day was a good day in the beginning, with our tickle fight, and him showing me he kept our pictures.

"When we having foreplay?" At this I laugh and remember brooke saying that.

"Ya. Well after we hung out a little til' she had to leave. Well she remembered she got me something so went to her house to get it. While she was gone, Luke came over and he told me that he wanted another chance because he was in love with me, at this point he thought Brooke had already left tree hill, and 1) I felt that was the only reason he wanted me and 2) I didnt want to hurt brooke so I told him no. He kissed me, Brooke came in at that moment and he said the exact opposite, he didnt love me, he loved her. She asked about this stupid peyton box, and he said it was too remind him of his mistake which was me, so Brooke and me arent friends because she believed him over me, and Luke I could kill."

Nate swung an arm around me, pulling me closer.

"Damn Peyt, i'm so sorry all this is happening to me. I may be going through stuff with Haley but what you are going through with your dad, bio mom, Brooke, Luke..I mean I couldn't imagine handling it all. You are the strongest person I know, and i'm always here for you. I'm sorry us Scott brothers didn't treat you good when we had you, because you deserve so much."

"Thanks Nate. You deserved me though, more than he did. Maybe not towards the end but we have alot of good memories that I wouldn't trade for the world.   
Luke hurt me by calling me a mistake, but it's okay now because I don't love him. And same goes for you; i'm always here for you too."

"Thanks Peyt."

My stomach let out a rumble to be fed and Nate laughed.

"Natey, food please."

"C'mon Peyt let's go."


	4. The passion, the love, the fire

After getting Peyton's stomach to stop rumbling, and wondering just where in the hell the girl stored it all, Nate and her wandered back to the cabin and changed into their swimsuits to hop in the hot tub.

Sitting there, Peyton in a black bikini covered with black stars and Nate in his black, white, and blue swim trunks, the just relaxed and enjoyed each other's company and the silence, with the occassional banter and talk.

Finally Nate looked over at her and stated:

"You know, they said we were the disfunctional couple, but we never hurt each other as much as Haley and Lucas hurt us."

Peyton took a moment to think about this and realized he was right.

"Haley wanted to change you, which was wrong all together, she made you a project. Lucas wanted to look past my flaws, and you, and make me his own and he didn't care who got hurt in the process. What hurt me the most is when I choose to let go, because Brooke meant more to me - he turned into someone I didn't even know."

"I don't think I really ever knew Haley to be honest. I was hurting over you, and she was just there and to numb the pain I tried with her, and she made it ten times worse because I knew no matter what you and I went through, you'd never leave just like that."

"Nate - I honestly didn't think it was the end, the last time I ended it. I thought in a week or so we'd be back to be you and me, but we never were. It was you and Haley and the then the triangle from hell."

"Peyton, i'm sorry I didn't try harder."

"And i'm sorry I didn't either. I'll never regret being with you Nathan Scott, but i'll always reget not trying harder, because i've never loved anyone as much as you."

"I feel the same. And Peyton?"

"Yeah?"

"Haley never replaced you. You were always in my heart, on my mind. I loved her, sure, but not like I did you."

Looking into each other's eyes, things just started to make so much sense. This was their second chance. They couldn't pass it up. This could be there forever.

Leaning in towards each other, Nate wrapped his arm around her waist, and she wrapped an arm around his neck as their lips inched towards each other - and the moment their lips touched - this was coming home, this was their saving grace. The passion, the love, the fire - it was all still there.


End file.
